Versatile plumbing device

ABSTRACT

A versatile plumbing tool for obviating household drain blockages is primarily operated by a manually operated air pump; however its utility is greatly increased by making it adaptable for operation by household water pressure. The annular housing of an anti-back flow valve functions as a hand grip for applying sealing down pressure on the discharge head during a drain unlocking operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various hand operated toilet plungers have been devised for facilitatingremoval of blockage in sewage discharge conduits. The usual handoperated plungers are not always effective because the pressure theygenerate is limited to that generated by a single down stroke of theplunger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention utilizes a hand operated airpump in combination with a check valve to supply a sufficient volume ofpressurized air to eradicate plumbing blockages. The discharge headengaging the toilet discharge opening is made of a flexible materialsuch as natural or synthetic rubber whereby an effective air pressureseal is formed when the head is pressed into the toilet bowl discharge.The threaded connections are the same as those used in outdoor householdwater facets and garden hoses, thereby providing alternative use ofhousehold water pressure to obviate the drain blockage as described inmy U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,895. The cylindrical check valve housing doublesas a hand grip for putting down pressure on the discharge head duringuse of the device to remove discharge blockages in toilet drains and thelike.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Several embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of one embodiment of the invention with partsbroken away for illustration purposes;

FIG. 2 is a side view of an air pump with parts broken away forillustration purposes;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section of an anti-back flow valve;

FIG. 3A is a side view of a large discharge head with parts broken awayfor illustration purposes;

FIG. 3B is a side view of a small plunger head;

FIG. 4 is a perspective of a second embodiment of the invention showingconnection to a garden hose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a hand operated air pump 11 connected to a relatively largesoft head 12, formed from natural or synthetic foam, sponge or softrubber, by way of a shut off valve 41, a high flow rate anti-back flowvalve 13 functioning in the manner of a check valve and a fluidconnector in the form of a rigid tube 17 interconnecting the inverteddome shaped head 12 and anti-back flow valve 13. An opening 18 in theupper end of the cylinder 21 of the air pump 11 permits escape of airduring the up stroke of the piston 19. The beforementioned majorcomponents are secured to one another by threaded connections orcouplings which have the same type and size threads as used on gardenhoses and outdoor facets to which the garden hoses are customarilyconnected during use. The discharge head 12 functions as a seal whenplaced in the discharge hole of the ordinary household toilet and has acentral annular discharge opening 23. As shown in FIG. 3A a garden hosecompatible threaded connector 14 has external threads 15 glued by asuitable permanent adhesive to the soft sponge like body 52 of the head12. The one way valve 13 shown in section in FIG. 3 and is shown in anopen position. The shiftable valve component 32 is biased toward itsclosed position, not shown, by a relative weak coil spring 33 mounted inan internal cylindrical holder segment 34 within the cylindrical orannular valve housing 36. When the air pump is manually operated, by adown stroke of the handle 43, the rod 42 and the piston 19, a rapidsurge of a high volume of pressurized air is delivered to the blockedtoilet discharge passage, not shown. During such a pressure deliveryoperation, one hand of the operator grips the housing 36 of theanti-backflow valve 13 and applies down pressure on the discharge head12 to maintain it in sealing contact with the opening of the pluggeddischarge conduit. The illustrated one way valve 13 permits a highvolume flow therethrough with very low resistance. In the open positionof the one way valve 13, it restricts air flow less than the air flow isrestricted by the central vertical passage of the head 12 or othercomponents of the herein disclosed apparatus.

FIG. 2 shows the hand operated air pump 11 connected directly to thedischarge head 12. FIG. 3B shows a smaller diameter head which is usefulwhen unblocking drains having smaller discharge openings.

As shown in FIG. 4, the shut off valve 41, the one way valve 13, thehead 12, and the rigid tube or conduit 17 interconnecting the one wayvalve 13 and the head 12 can be used to remedy toilet blockage and thelike by application of pressurized water through a garden hose 42.

The utility of the invention is greatly enhanced by forming all threadsof the illustrated interconnected components the same as used on outdoorhousehold water faucets and garden hoses. As shown in FIG. 1, thedischarge head 12 includes a rigid round horizontal top or plate 51 witha central opening aligned with an opening 23 in a soft inverted domeshaped pad or body 52. The downward pressure exerted by the plumber'shand on the one way valve housing 36 maintains an effective seal of thehead 12 with the toilet or drain discharge opening. By using garden hosetype threads on all interconnected components a very effective versatiletool for remedying plumbing blockages is provided.

1. A manually operated air pressure apparatus for clearing a pluggedhousehold toilet drain, comprising: a head having a rigid round flathorizontal top with a central vertical opening, an inverted dome shapedbody of rubber like material with an upper surface secured to theunderside of said top and having a central vertical passage therethroughaligned with said central vertical opening, and a fluid connectorsecured to said top in alignment with said central vertical opening, amanually operated air pump including a cylindrical housing having adischarge opening a one of its axially opposite ends, and a piston rodopening at the other of its axially opposite ends, a piston in saidcylinder, a piston rod rigidly secured in coaxial relation to saidpiston and including a portion extending through said piston rod openingand terminating at a exterior end and a handle secured to said exteriorend, by which said piston can be manually reciprocated to dischargecompressed air from said discharge opening, and a one way valveincluding an annular housing having an inlet connected to said dischargeopening, and an outlet connected to said connector of said head, saidone way valve having open and closed positions of adjustment, in saidopen position said one way valve restricts air flow less than the airflow is restricted by said central vertical passage of said head, saidannular one way valve housing being gripable by a human hand applyingdown pressure on said head to seal said head against said drain during afluid discharge drain unblocking operation.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1including a hand operable shut off valve having open and closedpositions, said shut off valve being interposed between said one wayvalve and said pump.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said checkvalve provides less restriction to air flow then other components ofsaid apparatus through which air passes during operation of saidapparatus.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid connectionsbetween said one way valve and said pump are threaded connectionscompatible to garden hose threads and the threads of outdoor householdfacets to which garden hoses are connectible.